World Travel Airways
Willkommen - Bienvenido - Welcome - Die (virtuelle) Fluggesellschaft für Reisende. - La aerolinea (virtual) para viajeros. - The (virtual) airline for travelers. '' '' HISTORY Founders were local Travel Agencies and the Federal State of Germany, Baden-Württemberg. The Federal State provided the main part of the start-up capital, which was enough tu buy two brand new Boeing 747-200B, of which the first one ( D-ASTR ) was picked up in Everett on the same day the company was founded. It departed on 19 November 1976 at 11:25 PM in Everett heading Stuttgart (EDDS), where it arrived in the evening of the next day, received by a large celebration. The second Jumbo Jet followed in May 1977. World Travel Airlines used the Jets in the next Years mainly to the most famous tourism destinations. In summer mainly to Palma de Mallorca ( Spain ) and New York, in winter to the Canary Islands and Florida (Miami), also departing from other German airports like Dusseldorf, Frankfurt and Munich, to be able to fill the large airplanes. In the early 90s, WTA had already a Fleet of 23 B 747-200s and was already the biggest Airline for charter flights to and from Germany. They started to expand their Services now to other European countries. Starting in 1994, World Travel replaced the B 747-200s by the more modern B 747-400, to operate their flights more economically. The modification of the fleet was completed end of the year 2000, when the last B 747-200 was formally adopted on 20 November, on Flight WT 076 from Stuttgart to Seattle respectively Los Angeles. Afterwards the Plane approached it´s last Trip to Mojave Desert, to be scrapped. In early 2001, WTA came after a hard winter in big financial problems. Due to the aggressive pricing policy of Airlines like Landmark, Orbit and Pacifica Airlines, World Travel lost many profitable contracts with important tour operators. Finally, end of January 2001, a young man from Stuttgart convinced a large American Bank, with German base in Dusseldorf, to grant him a large loan to buy the airline of the existing property owners. The convincing strategy was to buy smaller planes, to be more flexible. However, the bank named as condition, that the head office of the airline is to be relocated to Frankfurt in order to be closer to the market. After all, the 23rd May 2001 was a Milestone for World Travel Airlines , when the young airline boss met the boss of Pacifica Airlines nearby Frankfurt, which was also a young woman. Both airline bosses understood each other so well, that they are a couple since this day. Meanwhile the South American routes are the Passion of WTA and one of the main business areas of the airline. On 01 March 2002, the CEO of World Travel Airlines married with the airline boss of Pacifica Airlines and meanwhile they have childrens together. Both Airlines continued to operate independently. Meanwhile the South American routes are the Passion of WTA and one of the main business areas of the airline. In June 2002, World Travel Airlines was able to complete a great business with Boeing, as the financially troubled SOAR AIRLINES cancelled them an order with 389 brand new B 737-400s, which ware already stored since 1999 and 200 when the last Aircraft of this Type was built, waiting for a new buyer. Logical that WTA benefited from high discounts and the company´s new strategy could finally be translated into reality. The first of these great Jets entered in Service on 15 December 2002, what was the beginning of a new era in the history of the airline. World Travel Airlines was finally able to build up a network of connections to smaller airports with lower passenger volume and at the same time they could offer now a feeder service to fill the 747´s. WTA became now more independent of the tour operators, because they were selling their flights now more as scheduled flights. Although holiday destinations are still today the main business of the airline, since the B 737 entered in the Fleet, a large part of the airplane seats were sold now directly by World Travel for individual traveling people. Since then, the airline was profitable once again and the bank was convinced of the CEO´s course, they were in agree to relocate the head office once again back to Stuttgart, what was a big desire of the young airline boss. The move was completed in late 2003, when the company got offered a cheap deal to rent a office building near the Airport of Stuttgart. What stayed in Frankfurt, was a major maintenance center of WTA, the central accounting and the human resources management. In November 2004, WTA signed contracts with Airbus and Boeing for the A 321 and B 737-800 followed a few days later from Seattle, with the new aircraft types was introduced a new livery with blue colours. Nevertheless the B 737-400 Fleet and a main part of the B 747-400 Fleet is keeping their old livery in the combination white, red and black. On 23 July 2005, WTA bought GAIA AIRLINES and entered in the market of regional flights. Since 2005, WTA expanded its route network to the whole world and won several awards. In recent years, especially for offering the best value for money compared with the competition. On 01 March 2013 WORLD TRAVEL AIRLINES merged with PACIFICA AIRLINES. Both Airlines will continue operating under their own name, but the network is optimized. WORLD TRAVEL AIRLINES will have it´s focus on the Markets of Africa, Asia, Europe and also the US-East Coast. PACIFICA AIRLINES will be specialized on Eastern Asia, Oceania, the US-West Coast and South America, but anyway both Airlines will be active in the whole world. As Parent Company was founded the new GAIA AIRLINES, headed by the married couple, the CEO of Pacifica Airlines and CEO of World Travel Airlines. Formerly this airline was a subsidiary of WTA, but operating only till 2005. Gaia Airlines reactivated a part of its old fleet of Cessna Caravan Amphibians and is planning to buy or lease other small planes, in order to optimize the networks of PA and WTA on the regional routes and to be able to offer individual business and charter flights. On 23rd of May 2013, WTA was opening a new subsidiary, called SUNNY DAYS by World Travel Airlines, headquartered in Offenbach am Main (Germany). This company is acting like a travel agency, selling all inclusive holidays, but only combined with WTA Flights On 20th of July 2013, WTA introduced a new strategie for their network, in which Hamburg (HAM) and Stuttgart (STR) are the most important Airports in the network of the airline, including maintenance of the aircrafts. The Airline will give up the strategy of operating from big Hubs and adjust the network more on the requests of the regional markets all over the world. Only airports with important installations from World Travel Airlines, such as maintenance facilities etc., will keep on operating as smaller hubs with a limitated quantity of flights, including the possibility to change planes there with a boarding pass the passengers got at the origin airport and the luggage will be transfered automatically to the final destination. Like this the number of hubs will increase but they will work more efficient and passengers can choose faster connections. Other important destinations will become focus cities, operating only point to point traffic. In Hamburg will be located the new Main Maintenance Center of WTA which is still under construction and will be opened on 22nd of December 2013 and the airport was getting new intercontinental connections to Lima, Los Angeles and Tokio-Narita, operated with B 747 aircrafts, already started on 20.07.2013. Like this, the B 747-400 Fleet can be flown to the maintenance center, for bigger checks, on scheduled flights. Stuttgart Airport will stay the official homebase airport of World Travel Airlines, even if there is not located the biggest maintenance facility and the Boeing 747 is not operating there regulary, as it is the nearest airport to the headquarter of WTA. Stuttgart will become the most important hub for continental flights to tourist destinations and there will be done light maintenance works in the existing hangars on the narrow body aircraft fleet. Also the fleet of aircrafts for charter flights will have their homebase in Stuttgart, 1 Boeing 737-400, 1 Boeing 747-400 and 1 Cessna Caravan Amphibian. Beside of this, the new headquarter is located in Göppingen, which is located only 40 kilometres away from the airport of Stuttgart. There the company was moveing into a bigger and more economic building together with the parent company GAIA AIRLINES. It also includes a new Training Center for Crews, including simulators for every type of aircraft in the fleet, which was already opened on 20.07.2013. The new headquarter opened on 25.07.2013. On the same day, the old headquarters in Stuttgart will get the home for the new subsidiary World Travel Airlines CHARTER, which will operate Charter Fligths in the touristic market as well as in the business sector with smaller planes (operated by Gaia Airlines) worldwide. On 27th of July 2013, the central accounting was moveing from Frankfurt to Göppingen. On the same day, 27 July 2013, the new subsidiary WTA C a r g o will start operations, headquartered at Frankfurt Airport, in the old installations of the central accounting, in cooperation with Global Freightways. FACTS : FLEET: ''HUBS: REGIONAL HUBS: Beside the hubs, WTA is operating from lots of Bases, distributed around the world ''SOCIAL COMMITMENT OF WTA : *''They fly for free supplies or donations in poor regions of the world.'' *''They offer special fares for the ethnic traffic up to 50 % discount from the normal tarif. If anyone can prove that the last five years couldn´t visit his homecountry because of a low income, he gets a go and return flight to every place in the world for only 499.- € on the long-haul flights, including connection flights. One must prove that with the passport stamps and payslips. The Ticket can also be payed through a 0 % interest credit. But has to be payed before. Someone can pay for example in advance in twelve month rates. '' *''They will offer beginning summer season 2013 a special programm exclusively from Stuttgart. It´s called "Sunny Days". Needy families get two weeks all inclusive vacation in three star hotels from only 299.- € per adult + 100.- € for every child extra. The Offer is valid for families up to five persons, above they have to make a special request at the airline. The price includes the journey from every german railwaystation to Stuttgart. The following Destinations are offered with this program: Barcelona (Costa Brava/Spain), Burgas (Bulgaria), Palma de Mallorca (Spain) and Varna (Bulgaria). The flights will be performed in the summer season nearly daily (depends on the destination) with a B 747-400, which will be especially for this program temporarily stationed in Stuttgart. The prices in the high season will not be much higher. Someone can book the package "Discover Stuttgart" extra, which includes a stay for one night in a hotel in the region, a visit of one of the museums, the famous Zoological and Botanical Garden called Wilhelma, or the television tower with its great view of the surrounding area. At least the package includes a guided visit of the World Travel Airlines installations on the Airport of Stuttgart, where the Jets and the work on them can be watched from near. The package for the whole family is only costing 69.- €. ''